Poll Highlights Political, Regional Differences in Perceptions of Climate Change

Climate change is a top-of-mind issue for minorities in the U.S., according to a polling brief from the AAMC Center for Health Justice.

The AAMC Center for Health Justice polled 3,207 U.S. adults to gauge their perspectives on climate change, its impacts, and actions that could be taken toward mitigation.AAMC Center for Health JusticeRising Tide — compiled by the center’s Environmental Justice Fellow Anthony Nicome, Director of Research Dr. Carla S. Alvarado, and Founding Director Dr. Philip M. Alberti — is a polling of 3,207 U.S. adults from April, gauging their perspectives on climate change, its impacts, and actions that could be taken toward mitigation. It found that 72% of Black and Hispanic adults expressed a belief that climate change is a problem that will affect their families. White adults in the Northeast and in the West tended to share their concern.

About 72% of those polled acknowledged climate change is a problem, with 47% considering it a significant challenge. The polling further breaks down by political ideology, wherein 91% of liberals, 78% of moderates, and 55% of conservatives see climate change as problematic.

The brief noted that about a fifth adults polled (19%) said either climate change is not a problem at all (7%), that climate change is not real (4%), or have no opinion (8%).

Notwithstanding, most adults and youth in the poll are concerned about climate change and its future impact on their lives with 75% believing government has a prominent role in addressing it — respondents said the private sector (at 54%), city or local governments (at 55%), and state governments (at 63%) also bear this responsibility.

The brief concludes that the impacts of climate change vary significantly across communities, often disproportionately affecting marginalized communities experiencing increased exposure to impacts with decreased access to the resources to address them.